During the laundry process in a domestic or commercial washing machine, soil is removed from the soiled fabrics by a combination of the physical action (agitation) of the machine and the detergency of the laundry detergent composition, and enters the wash liquor. A similar process occurs in handwashing. It is important to ensure that soil is not simply deposited back onto the fabrics but remains suspended in the wash liquor and eventually washed away. Laundry detergent compositions conventionally contain sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC) as an antiredeposition agent. U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,735 (Marco et al/Milliken) discloses cellulose acetates with a defined degree of substitution as antiredeposition agents in laundry detergent compositions.
Other cellulosic materials have also been used in laundry detergent compositions for a variety of benefits, for example, soil release, and fabric care benefits.
WO 00/18861A and WO 00/18862A (Unilever) disclose cellulosic compounds having a benefit agent attached, so that the benefit agent will be deposited on the fibres of the washed textiles during the laundry process.
Our pending international patent application PCT/EP02/07682 filed on 10 Jul. 2002 discloses the use in laundry compositions of grafted polysaccharides prepared by a controlled process, the atom transfer radical polymerisation process. The polymers can give various benefits, notably soil release and fabric care benefits. Amongst the polymers disclosed as giving fabric care benefits is a polymer having a locust bean gum backbone and grafts of styrene-4-sulphonic acid.